Background:
On 10/3/18, the Arizona Republic (an Arizona newspaper with the largest state readership), published a “fake news” article attacking the Western Caucus and Rep. Martha McSally.
The article is particularly absurd considering Rep. McSally did not sign either letter sent by Members of the Western Caucus encouraging the Trump Administration to overturn the political one million plus acre mineral withdrawal implemented by the Obama Administration in 2012.
Further, the article fails to discuss any of the important public policy issues related to this matter including: The political 2012 withdrawal removed roughly one million acres of the federal estate from mineral entry – land the subsurface of which contains significant portions of what is by far the largest tract of uranium deposits in the entire nation, in addition to the highest grade of uranium deposit in the nation by a factor of six; U.S. energy utilities now import a stunning 92% of the uranium they need for nuclear-derived electricity generation; Nuclear power continues to supply roughly 20% of the total electricity generated and used in the country, but the countries that provide the bulk of our uranium import are under the Russian umbrella, including Kazakhstan; Located within the withdrawal area there are 4,204 acres owned by the Arizona State Land Department for the benefit of Arizona’s school children, and 19,789 acres of land held in private ownership; Uranium was recently added to the Critical Minerals list by the Trump Administration; The political mineral withdrawal fails to take into account our national security interests; Uranium is utilized by our military for things like armor plating for tanks and armor-piercing projectiles.
The Republic article also falsely claimed Rep. Grijalva’s massive land grab bill provides “the real fix”. Grijalva’s 1.7 million acre national monument bill is not a real fix. In fact, it’s not even in his district. There is lots of opposition from local Arizonans and Utahans to this misguided proposal that deserves at least a mention. More HERE, HERE and HERE.
In 2012, President Obama’s Interior Secretary Ken Salazar imposed a 20-year withdrawal of approximately 1,006,545 acres of federal mineral estate in northern Arizona from location and entry of new mining claims.
The withdrawal area constitutes the bulk of a 326,000,000 acre uranium reserve which the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) estimates would provide California’s 40 million residents 22.4 years of electricity. (See attached NEI comparison chart). The breccia pipe formations scattered across the region represent the largest deposits of uranium in the United States and contains the highest grades of American uranium ore by a factor of 6. Thus, the Northern Arizona deposits constitute the crown jewel infrastructure for America’s nuclear power generating capability and represent the nation’s most critical reserves for such purposes.
Make no doubt about it, during the Cold War era uranium boom instigated by the Atomic Energy Commission under the direction of Presidents Truman and Eisenhower, environmental safeguards were not high on the list of priorities and much damage was done to the health and welfare of Native Americans and other citizens due to poor mining techniques and safeguards. However, industry practices and technological advancements in recent years have made remarkable improvements to actively prevent environmental damage and significantly reduce associated health risks. In short, uranium mining and protecting the environment and human health are no longer mutually exclusive.
What is a concern is the January 2012 Secretarial Withdrawal. That withdrawal ignored significantly improved environmental realities on the ground and, more importantly, it upset a seminal agreement reached by the Arizona and Utah Congressional delegations at the time of passage of PL 98-406, the Arizona Wilderness Act of 1984, signed into law by President Ronald Reagan.
Righting this wrong by revoking this withdrawal is important because the withdrawal runs roughshod over the provisions of the 1984 law and constitutes a direct threat to our national security. The 1984 legislation—which directly impacts both Arizona and Utah economically—was based on a legitimate compromise reached at the request of then House Interior Committee Chairman Morris Udall and witnessed by Senator John McCain (then a freshmen House member) and Senator Orrin Hatch along with former Utah Senator Jake Garn and Arizona’s Dennis DeConcinni.
Specifically, that compromise allowed for an additional 387,000 acres of National Forest and BLM land to be added to the National Wilderness Preservation System as a buffer to the Grand Canyon and released for multiple-use activities including exploration and mining of 540,000 acres of land. Stakeholders at the table at the time included the National Parks and Conservation Association, the Wilderness Society, Arizona Wildlife Federation, the Sierra Club, graziers, timber companies, the mining industry, local businesses, civic groups, regulatory agencies, local county and state governments from Arizona and Utah.
Industry studies have shown direct adverse impacts from this withdrawal to rural portions of six counties in Arizona (Mohave, Coconino) and Utah (Kane, Garfield, San Juan and Washington) of between 2,000-4,000 lost jobs and $29 billion in overall economic activity in the region at peak production.
In May, more than 50 members of the Congressional Western Caucus and stakeholders called on the Trump Administration to investigate and scrap political mineral withdrawals implemented by the Obama Administration whose sole purpose was to lockup land from multiple-use. Click HERE to read more.
In July, nine Members of Congress called on the Trump Administration to lift the 2012 Arizona Strip moratorium. Click HERE to read more.
Members of the Western Caucus have taken numerous actions to protect and promote the Grand Canyon including:
- In April of 2018, Members of the Western Caucus led an effort to protect whitewater rafting and the visitor experience in Grand Canyon National Park. Click HERE to read more.
- Over the last several years, Members of the Western Caucus have passed legislation to attempt to address the “beefalo” problem in Grand Canyon National Park. These non-native animals are wreaking havoc on Park lands, eating native grasslands and polluting wetlands with their waste. Click HERE to read more.
- In March of 2018, the Western Caucus Foundation organized a trip and roundtable for Members, staff and stakeholders to Arizona that included a visit and important briefing at the Grand Canyon.
